Debriefing
by Niawt
Summary: Drizzt and company destroy an orc patrol. A tale from the lone survivor's point of view.


Debriefing

Japoknob Crookedeye was hauled into the chieftain's tent. Hands and feet bound with thick rope, he was shoved hard to the ground.

"On your knees maggot!" one of the guards growled.

Japoknob groaned and did his best to get onto his knees. But, he fell to the ground. His hands tied behind his back, he couldn't break his fall and landed hard on his shoulder, a shoulder that had been crushed the day before.

When he hit the ground Japoknob yelped in pain. His eyes filled with black-red spots, and he fought hard to hold onto conciousness.

Another guard grabbed him by his greasy hair and pulled him upwards. "Face the chief yah coward!" the guard screamed, gobs of spit spraying Japoknob's face.

Japoknob raised his head and met the withering gaze of Garash Gutspiller, the fierce chieftain of the Gutspiller Clan, a captain in King Obould's army.

The massive chieftain sat on his throne. The throne had been carved recently from great slabs of pine. The smell of freshly sawed timber and sap hung in the air. Under that smell, Japoknob smelled something far more sinister. Following his keen nose, the orc dared a glance to the corner of the large tent. There, he saw the beheaded corpses of three of his friends.

"Well?" Garash Gutspiller asked.

Under the fierce gaze of his chieftain Japoknob trembled violently. He had seen his chieftain tear other orcs apart with his bare hands, and cleave others in half with his massive double bladed axe.

"Well?" Garash asked again as he placed his hand on the blade of his axe, which was leaning against his throne, and slowly drummed his fingers across the blade.

"They ambushed us! We had no chance!" Japoknob screamed. "It was that drow ranger and his demon cat!"

Garash Gutspiller's eyes narrowed , and his hand moved down to grip the handle of his great axe.

"That drow is a devil from the abyss! He and his cat killed half the patrol before we knew we was under attack. Ishbottol, my cousin, got his face ripped apart by that damned cat! Then that giant barbarian charged out of the bushes. Eight feet tall he was, and dressed like a rabid wolf. He comes screaming into our camp and killed the others like he was swatting bugs."

Garash Gutspiller locked eyes with Japoknob and leaned forward with burning anger in his eyes. "So what did you do brave Japoknob Crookedeye? What did you do when you saw you're friends, my soldiers, being butchered by King Battlehammer's lackeys?"

Japoknob puffed out his chest and tried his best to look confident, "I grabbed my spear and charged the yellow haired giant when his back was to me," he said. "With blessed Gruumsh's name on my lips I tried to stab the barbarian in the back."

"You wounded him then?" the chieftain asked.

Japoknob, very conscious of the fact that he was bound hand and foot on the floor in front of his chieftain, replied timidly, "Well … no … you see … I mis…"

"What!" the chieftain growled, stained and sharpened teeth showing.

"I'm so sorry Garash … I mean chief … uuuuh … Chieftain Garash. I tried to stab him in the back, but that damed drow shouted out a warning and the next thing I know I was in the bushes. My shoulder was smashed. I tried to stand up, but I guess I passed out."

Garash stood up, his axe clenched in his massive hand.

"We had no chance! I beg you! Spare my life! For Gruumsh! For King Obould! Spare me and I'll not disappoint you again!" Japoknod begged.

"Hmmph, we've lost too many orcs in this war already," Garash said. "You're a good warrior Japoknob. I'll give you another chance to prove yourself worthy."

Garash motioned to the guards standing behind Japoknob, "Untie him."

The guards roughly pulled Japoknob to his feet and cut the ropes that were around his wrists and legs.

"Now get out of here, I'm transferring you to Vulture Squad, report to them at once. Remember, next time you try to stab a man in the back, especially a barbarian, don't miss."

Japoknob made his way to the exit, bobbing and nodding his head in agreement. "Thank you, thank you my …"

The chieftain's axe came spinning across the room and split Japoknob's face in half. His body spun and hit the ground with a wet thump.

"Put him in the corner with the other failures," Chieftain Garash Gutspiller said.


End file.
